Originally posted by MeltzerRay "Big Bossman" Traylor passed away suddenly at his home tonight. Traylor, who was 42, got his start as Jim Cornette's bodyguard Big Bubba Rogers in 1986 after he left his job as a prison guard in Marietta, GA.

I must say, after all the 80s wrestlers that have been passing away recently, I still did NOT see this one coming.

Bossman was one of the early characters I got into when I first started watching wrestling (when he was teaming with Akeem as the Twin Towers). He was actually, aside from Hulk Hogan, my mom's favorite wrestler (she never really followed wrestling, but with my obsession as out of control as it was, she had no choice but to get to know a lot of the characters).

Kinda strange that on this Saturday night is to be the first meeting between the Rock 'N' Roll Express and Midnight Express with Jim Cornette in 20 some years. The promotional pictures even show Big Bubba in the background.

RIP Big Bubba Rogers

PAM ANDERSON on being named E!'s best blonde:"The carpet don't match the drapes!""... Just kidding, there is no carpet."

I had really started to believe we'd seen the worst of our faves passing, that it was going to slow down a bit since most of the guys who really overdid it, partied too hard and juiced too much seem to have died already.

Never heard of Bossman being a party guy, but a lifetime of being overweight is not good for you. Hope it was painless.

What really makes this a sad story in my eyes is the type of person that Traylor reportedly was away from the ring. I remember reading more than one story about different projects he was involved with in his community, including one around the time of his last WWE run where he was trying to raise money to build safe playgrounds in depressed areas in his part of Georgia. To recall stories like that tells me that this was a man who deserved better.

What a shame. He was one of the guys who I used to think could have been SO MUCH MORE if not for the Hulkster.

I still remember Dusty hitting him with a chair, and it breaking all over his head, and him just taking it off from around his neck, and adjusting his hat before big Dusty had to leave the ring in fear.

DAMMIT DAMMIT DAMMIT. Man this is such sad news. I was a huge fan of his. Now another good guy is gone. I remember setting around with friends watching WWF and out came Boss Man (this was when he was in the Corporation) and all my friends started "Booing" him and I just sat there cheering my ass off for him.

The toughest part about this is that he was such a decent and generous man OUTSIDE wrestling. Put aside the fact he was a wrestler. The world just lost a real decent and good man. That is bad news for all of us.

I enjoyed his comeback run with the Corporation (dug the SWAT team outfit) much more than I expected to, and I rememnber him as the first really big guy on my Mid-Atlantic TV days. Wasn't so much a fan of his later WCW run as the Guardian Angel even though it involved Our Most Dread and Fearsome Lord, Big Van Vader.

I'm unexpectedly saddened by this. Truly. Never met the man, not even sure if I saw him live, but this has cast a pall on my day, and I wish his family the best as they mourn.

I wouldn't worry about Traylor not getting a proper sendoff. He was a real company man for so many years and I would go out on a limb to say that Vince respected him as a man more than he did with most other wrestlers. Bossman often got pushed more than others would have suggested he should be at the time (like when he returned to the company to main event versus Austin for a month or so) - not that I was complaining. Bossman was my first-ever favorite wrestler, even though I'd been following for years prior to his emergence. The Bossman/Big Show feud and its buildup were so campy and offensive, they were fun to watch. Bossman was a true villain when he wanted to be, and yet the night he tried to turn on the Corporation, he instantly received a pop so big, it surprised the hell out of me.

I haven't posted here in quite some time, but still check in daily to read all of your thoughts. After hearing this news, I just felt compelled to add my feelings. This is truly awful news. All the recent deaths are quite tragic, but this is the first one I shed a tear for. Bossman was my childhood idle. I love(d) that guy. For a big man, he had some great matches with so many of the roster. He even got some great matches out of Earthquake. From his time as past of the Twin Towers to his most recent run with The Corp, that guy never failed to put his best effort to entertain the masses. No matter what role he was given, he did it and did it well, and I felt so indebted to Vince for bringing him back for another run. I will truly, truly miss him.

Some of you have already said this, but it's the same here. When everyone would "boo" him, I was the only one in the room on my feet cheering. He could do no wrong in my eyes. I would light up every time his music would hit, and I nearly had a stroke from cheering so much when he teased the face turn against the Corp. All my friends would tease me about how they had favs like Foley etc, and mine was Bossman. I stuck by it then, and I stick by it now. He was a huge part of the reason, if not THE reason, that I fell in love with wrestling. I still know every word of his (old school) theme song. I had plenty of time to memorize it while playing it for my entrance to my room before a big match with my pillow. I never thought a death of someone I never knew could hit me so hard. Thats a true mark of a true hero.

My hero died. A part of me died as well.

Rest In Peace Bossman, and Thank You So Much for being a part of my life.